SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Tim Lincecum was tagged for 11 hits and seven runs, including three homers, but the San Francisco Giants came all the way back to beat the Kansas City Royals 13-9 on Sunday.
Making his fifth start of the spring, Lincecum gave up home runs to Salvador Perez, Jason Donald and Carlos Peguero. The right-hander also struck out seven and walked one in 4 2-3 innings.
Brandon Crawford sparked San Francisco’s eight-run sixth with a two-run homer. Brandon Belt hit an RBI single and Hector Sanchez added a two-run single.
With two outs, Gregor Blanco hit a drive into the right-center gap, driving in two runs, and came all the way around to score himself for a 9-7 lead. The play was ruled a triple and an error, due to a dropped throw on the relay.
The Giants added two more runs in the seventh for an 11-7 advantage. After Kansas City cut the lead to 11-9 with two runs in the eighth, the Giants got two more in the bottom of the eighth on a home run by Ehire Adrianza.
STARTING TIME
Royals: Right-hander Yordano Ventura solidified his hold on the No. 3 spot in Ned Yost’s rotation by limiting the Giants to just one run on five hits in five innings. The 22-year-old Ventura walked three and struck out three.
James Shields will start on opening day in Detroit, followed by Jason Vargas and then Ventura, who was 0-1 in three starts for the Royals last year.
Giants: Lincecum said he had some good pitches and bad pitches Sunday, but was generally out of synch. He thought his body positioning allowed his lower posterior to “float” toward the plate before the rest of his body.
“My pitch count was up and I was erratic,” he said. “I wasn’t throwing the changeup anywhere I wanted to. I wasn’t so much interested in the results than I was getting the work in. It (end of spring) has become more of a mental grind thing than mechanics. If this would have been a regular-season game, I would have studied the hitters more, but that doesn’t mean the result would have been any different.”
Lincecum currently is slotted No. 4 in Bruce Bochy’s rotation, meaning he likely would be the starter when the Giants wrap up a four-game, season-opening series at Arizona on April 3.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: No injuries to report.
Giants: The team continues to treat left fielder Michael Morse’s calf with caution. He was used as a pinch hitter Sunday, and his return as a defensive player remains uncertain.
PLAYER MOVES
Royals: The team announced Sunday left-handers Danny Duffy and Donnie Joseph were optioned to Triple-A Omaha, while right-handed pitchers Cory Wade and P.J. Walters were assigned to minor league camp.
Giants: After the game, the team optioned right-handed reliever George Kontos to Triple-A Fresno and sent left-handed reliever Dan Runzler to minor-league camp. Runzler earned the win Sunday.
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